The Greatest Duelist
by KaibaGirl007
Summary: Maximillion Pegasus is a visionary who seeks a life more fulfilling than that he is accustomed to. Unfortunately for him, there are plenty of people standing in his way that would love to see him fail. But his determination is not hindered as the combined faith and dreams of his childhood sweetheart, a bunch of outcasts and a young billionaire drive him to succeed.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

" _WHOA!"_

Down on the bayside of San Francisco, a circus tent stood gleaming in the afternoon sun.

" _WHOA!"_

Inside, the audiance's cacophony of hollering voices, clapping hands and stamping feet filled the confined canvas space.

" _WHOA!"_

A palpable excitement from people of all ages that was just as contagious as it was electrifying.

" _WHOA!"_

Not to mention the perfect veil for stealthy, nimble fingers to work their magic.

 _"Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for."_

" _WHOA!"_

 _"Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor."_

" _WHOA!"_

" _Buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore_

 _Taking your breath, stealing your mind_

 _And all that was real is left behind!"_

Like the rest of the crowd, Maximillion Pegasus' eyes where drawn to the energetic ringmaster that had stepped out into the spotlight. There the man stood; Confident. Proud. Admired. Adored. Respected. Everything the tweenager himself craved to be.

 _"Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya_

 _It's only this moment, don't care what comes after_

 _Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer_

 _Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over"_

As the crowd rousing words and exhilarating routine continued, so did Pegasus with his task of lifting wallets from unsuspecting targets.

 _"It's fire, it's freedom, it's flooding open_

 _It's a preacher in the pulpit and your blind devotion_

 _There's something breaking at the brick of every wall_

 _It's holding all that you know, so tell me do you wanna go?"_

Uh-oh, the tween had been careless with his last swipe. His mark had felt the removal of their property and was turning to face him.

 _"Where it's covered in all the coloured lights_

 _Where the runaways are running the night_

 _Impossible comes true, it's taking over you.."_

Lightning fast reflexes saved Pegasus this time as he swiftly sidestepped out of the other's view, joining in with the singing crowd so as not to appear too conspicuous. "Oh, this is the greatest show!"

The accusation of 'thief' was then made towards the poor soul now stood directly behind the outraged mark, and as the claim rapidly escalated into a quarrel between the two, Pegasus took the opportunity to sneak away so as too avoid being uncovered as the actual culprit.

A shame really. He would very much have liked to stay and lose himself in the show's escapism before having to return to life's grim reality.

Once outside in the open air and far away from the circus tent, he casually checked his spoils. Four wallets wasn't a huge haul, but it was sure to be sufficient in covering expenditures for the next week or so. Or at least it would have been if people weren't so keen to rely more and more on debit and credit card payments these days.

"$26.89." Pegasus grumbled at the minuscule total of cash he had managed to accumulate. Once he'd deducted the cost of the circus ticket that he'd had to purchase in order to carry out his petty crime, it left very little profit on top of what he'd started out with earlier that day. He'd have no choice but to repeat his crime tomorrow, unless his father had actually been successful in securing one of the many jobs he'd been chasing.

Speaking of his father, he was due to met up with him shortly. He discarded the remnants of the stolen wallets into the nearest trash bin and began to head towards their agreed meeting place.

Up in the sky above, the sun was now setting as Pegasus approached an open green area that was popular with tourists. It wasn't hard to see why as the view to the west provided a breathtaking sight of the Golden Gate Bridge glimmering in all its glory. As mesmerising as it was though, the tween's view became captivated by another equally,- if not more,- beautiful sight in the form of a girl sat painting at an easel just a few feet away.

Cascading blonde hair trailed halfway down the girl's back where it was partially tied with a ribbon; elegant yet also practical for keeping her field of vision clear as she painted her masterpiece. Heavily concentrating grey-blue eyes darted back and forth between the canvas and the bridge, resulting in many tiny brushstrokes applied to her art as it perfectly depicted the sun's rays bouncing off the gigantic manmade structure.

The longer Pegasus watched the girl paint, the stronger his inquisitiveness grew. She seemed somewhat familiar to him, though he couldn't quite place just where he may have seen her angelic face before. Or perhaps he was mistaken and he'd only ever seen her in his dreams?

"You're very beautiful."

The girl ceased painting and turned towards the source of the surprising comment. "Pardon?"

" _Your art!_ I meant _your art_ is very beautiful!" Pegasus tried to disguise the fact that he'd unintentionally spoken aloud what he'd been thinking. Though judging by the warmth sensation of his cheeks, he wasn't even the slightest bit convincing. _Idiot!_

The look of embarrassment she was now witnessing made the girl feel slightly bad for the abrupt reaction she'd given this boy who was now shying away. He didn't seem anything like that creep Keith Howard who kept hounding her. And yet she'd treated him just as harshly through no fault of his own. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bite, I thought you were someone else."

"Someone you don't like I assume?"

The girl laughed. "Was I that obvious? If only he was as observant as you, then maybe he'd get the message and leave me alone…" Her words trailed off into silence as she paid closer attention to the boy's face that was suddenly looking more familiar to her. Did she know him?

"You're staring at me."

"Oh!" The girl's face flushed a little at being caught admiring him. "For a moment there I thought I recognised you after all... What's your name?"

His name? Ugh, he hated this part. Having been told countless times by his father to never give out his real name, he was now forced to come up with an alias right there on the spot. It was something he wasn't very good at since he always incorporated his own name in one way or another. What surname was his father choosing to use these days? Crawford was it? _Meh, that'll do._ "My name is Pegasus-"

"Pegasus?!" The girl shrieked her interjection before he'd even had chance to finish. "As in, Maximillion Pegasus?"

 _Oh snap!_ She knew his real name, but how? He hadn't let it slip for the last couple of years now, a fact he'd been rather proud of. "I um… er… H-how did you…?"

"It's me, Cecelia Bennett. We met a few years back in Vagas. Don't you remember?"

So that was where he knew her from! A broad smile conquered Pegasus' face as the memories suddenly came flooding back and he recalled their meeting . "Yes, of course! We were at some boring business event with our fathers."

"That's right." Cecelia nodded, her smile now mirroring his. "We were the only two kids there, and once we were introduced to each other we spent almost the rest of the time-"

"Talking about Funny Bunny." Pegasus chuckled, finishing the sentence as his eyes momentarily meet hers straight on. The awkwardness he'd felt a moment ago had all but vanished. He'd enjoyed the girl's company back then and would love to continue and build on that friendship they'd once started. Unfortunately, he knew that they shouldn't.

"You know, I _had_ hoped we'd stay in touch." Cecelia commented, now sounding rather bashful as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and diverted her eyes a little. "But you and your father left so swiftly... We didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I know." He replied with an slight ache in his heart. Such an experience had once been an all too common occurrence for himself, hence why he no longer tried to make friends. What was the point if they were to be either forgotten or forbidden in the first place?

"I guess it must be fate for us to have met again like this?"

"Yeah, I guess…so…?" Pegasus' attention was now diverted to the bottom of the hill where he could see his father had appeared and was stood waiting for him. Damn, he had to go, preferably without being spotted by his old man. "Cecelia, I hate to do this but there's somewhere I have to be right now. Also, please don't tell anyone you've seen me."

"You're leaving again!" she sounded hurt. "At lease this time we'll get to say goodbye, right?"

He shook his head, hoping that he wouldn't regret what he was about to say next. "No, I don't want to say goodbye, I want to stay longer but I _can't_ … Can we meet up some other time?"

Cecelia's heart jumped at hearing the request to meet again. "Sure, we can swap numbers and I'll call once I've checked some times with mom and dad-"

"I don't have a cell phone."

"Oh... Well how about swap emails?"

"Uh-uh, no email either." Pegasus replied to an already suspicious looking face. He glanced again towards his father who was now beginning to look around in search of him. _I have to think of something fast!_ "Look, it's complicated, I'll explain some other time. As for meeting up, how about I come here and stay between 3pm and 7pm during the next few days? Would you be able to make it to at least one of those times?"

"Of course. It's a little unorthodox but as long as I get to see you again-"

"Oh you will, I promise." he gave one last reassurance before racing off to met up with his father.

With a smile on her face, Cecelia watched him leave before returning her attention to the canvas once more.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

By 2:50pm the next day, Pegasus was already waiting on the green recreation area of Crissy Field. He sat on the grass to rest his aching feet from having walked almost non-stop since leaving the house that morning. However, it had been worth it as he'd stumbled upon a group of lost and confused looking tourists. Unbeknownst easy targets for pick-pocket action that had netted him close to $300; a vast improvement from yesterday's pitiful haul. There had also been some euros and pounds mixed in too. Those he'd deposited into a charity box for paralysed veterans. It didn't make up for his petty crime, but at least they'd be exchanged and used by the worthy cause instead of going to waste.

At 3:22pm he spotted Cecelia walking towards him. Today her hair was loose, flowing in the light breeze and highlighting her heavenly face. "Hey." she greeted him. "Sorry I kept you waiting."

"No apology needed." he assured with a smile as he broke free from his trance and patted the grass to indicate for her to sit beside him. "I would have waited for as long as it took for you to arrive. Even if you hadn't shown up today, I would have been back tomorrow and the day after that."

Hearing him say that he would go to such lengths to wait for her made Cecelia blush a little. They'd only met twice before and yet he was willing to devote so much of his time for her. "I'm afraid I can't stay for long." she informed him as she set herself down. "And unfortunately my parents have things already scheduled for me for next couple of days too."

Pegasus' heart sank at hearing the news. "Oh."

"Knowing there's no other way to contact you, I snuck away and raced over here so that I could tell you myself since I didn't want you thinking that I had purposely stood you up. I'll be able to meet with you after those days though. Say 4pm at Golden Gate Park?"

Though he wasn't sure if he and his father would still be in town by then, Pegasus feinted a convincing smile as he nodded. "Sure, sounds good."

"So.." Cecelia breathed deeply now that _that_ was out of the way with. She brought her knees closer to her chest and rest her arms and head on them as she looked at him. "…Since now is 'some other time', what's the story behind you not having a cellphone or email? Everybody has them these days."

"Yes, well not me." Pegasus laughed nervously. He raised his own legs and placed his arms around them, indecisive as to whether or not he should tell the truth or mask the true extent of his poverty. "My father he... developed a electromagnetic hypersensitivity to many things, hence our lack of cellphones and computers."

"Gee, that must by hard on him, also for you and your mother too." The tone of Cecelia's voice indicated that the lie had been bought. She then laughed a little, "I know my parents wouldn't be able to cope without-..."

Pegasus had bit down his lip at the painful mention of his mother. His fingers began to knot and he slowly sank back into the memories of when his and his father's life had truly spiralled out of control.

"Maximillion?…. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." he lied, wiping away the tears pricking at his eyes as Cecelia's voice broke through to him.

She wasn't at all convinced. "I wasn't laughing 'at' you,- or your father,- I just meant my parents rely on a great deal of electrical appliances all too much."

"I know that." Although he'd been brought out of his thoughts, Pegasus' eyes still remained distant as he spoke. For a moment he contemplated on spinning another lie to excuse his pain, perhaps even hide or at least nullify it within. It hadn't worked on previous occasions when he'd tried to fool himself so instead he chose to be truthful. "It was the mention of my mother, s-she… She died around six months after you and I first met."

Cecelia's throat turned dry as she listen to him speak; no wonder he'd become upset. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't as though you could have done anything to stop her cancer."

Whilst his words were true, she wasn't going to feel any less sympathetic for him as a result of them. Slowly she unfolded her arms from upon her knees and gently placed a hand on his back in a comforting gesture. Unsure of what would be the right words to say to make him feel better, she just sat in silence, her touch doing the talking as it let him know she was there if he wanted to confide in her.

The simple gesture hadn't at all been expected as was evident by the momentary dilating of Pegasus' eyes. How long had it been since anyone,- besides his father,- had shown him such compassion? Too long.

Whilst he appreciated the gesture, he remained mute all the while as he gazed across the bay towards Alcatraz Island. What had once been a proud prison that had incarcerated many inmates during its time now lay empty and abandoned; its glory days long behind it. That was exactly how he felt sometimes, despite his young age. But not today. Not with Cecelia beside him. She gave him support from the kindness of her heart. He turned to face her with a sincere smile; "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you and being here." He could sense that she didn't think it much, but it meant the world to him just to know that she cared. "Okay, moping's over, let's lighten the mood and change subject."

"To what?" Cecelia asked, glad to see that her friend was feeling somewhat better within himself.

"Dunno." Pegasus gave a shrug. "Though I guess Funny Bunny seems a good enough place as any to start." He felt the hand withdrawn from his back.

"I no longer watch or read Funny Bunny."

"Why?" A perplexed look was given towards the girl whom he knew had once adored the cartoon rabbit's antics. "Did you lose interest?"

"Not exactly….My parents say it's for children, that I'm 'too old' and I should no longer like such fatuous things, that I should instead focus on becoming 'a lady' like society expects." The resentful look on Cecelia's face was an indication that she still wanted to indulge in their favourite toon. "Thirteen, that's 'technically' still a child, right? Why should I be forced to change my interests and become someone else? Why can't I just be me?!"

"Ignore what others think." Pegasus reached out for her hand to help calm the growing agitation caused by other people's expectations. "There will always be prejudice in this life, but you won't ever get it from me."

With a smile materialising upon her face, Cecelia took ahold of the hand offered to her as the other started to harmonise his words into a tune:

"I close my eyes and I can see

The world that's waiting up for me

That I call my own.

Through the dark, through the door

Through where no one's been before

But it feels like home."

Still holding Cecelia's hand, Pegasus got to his feet and pulled her up with him. She stumbled a little but was instantly steadied by his arms.

"They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy

They can say, they can say I've lost my mind

I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy

We can live in a world that we design"

Bright captivating smiles shone on both of their faces as Pegasus took the lead and led Cecelia into a waltz.

"'Cause every night I lie in bed

The brightest colours fill my head

A million dreams are-"

 _BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!, BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!, BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP!_ The loud sound emitting from Cecelia's cellphone broke the two apart.

"Sorry, that's my cue to leave I'm afraid." she apologised as she fumbled with her device in order to turn off the pre-set alarm. "I warned you I couldn't stay long."

Even with the prior warning and re-arrangment to meet up again, his heart still felt heavy with the uncertainty of whether or not he'd be able to make it. He held on to the hope that he would.

"Three days from now and I'm all yours again." Cecelia assured the saddened looking face as she placed her cellphone away. "Golden Gate Park's a big place, so let's say we meet up by the boat house at Stow Hill, okay?"

A silent nod was given as confirmation.

"Well… I'll see you there." An impulsive kiss was given to the boy's cheek before Cecelia then hurried away.

Pegasus' world seemed to slow and freeze at the feel of soft lips upon his skin. Was it customary for friends to kiss goodbye, or was this an indication of something more? Either way, he had no time to react though his heart began to rapidly race as the world unfroze and he found himself standing there alone. His hand reached up to his cheek and fingertips came away with a fine residue of soft pink lipstick that he was pretty certain Cecelia hadn't been wearing the previous day.


End file.
